And melt away In a dying, dying fall. 2. By Music, minds an equal temper know Warriors she fires with animated sounds: Sloth unfolds her arms and wakes, 3. But when our country's cause provokes to arms, Descend from Pelion to the main. 4. But when thro' all th' infernal bounds, What scenes appear'd, O'er all the dreary coasts? Dreadful gleams Fires that glow, Shrieks of woe, Sullen moans, And cries of tortur'd ghosts! Thy stone, O Sysiphus, stands still, And the pale spectres dance! The furies sink upon their iron beds And snakes uncurl'd hang list'ning round their heads. 5. By the streams that ever flow, Stern Proserpine relented, A conquest how hard, and how glorious! Yet music and love were victorious. 9 6. the lover turns his eyes! But soon too soon, No crime was thine, if 'tis no crime to love. Beside the falls of fountains Unheard, unknown, See, wild, as the winds, o'er the desert he flies; Hark, Hamus resounds with the Bacchanal's cries Ah see, he dies! Yet even in death Eurydice he sung, Eurydice still trembled on his tongue, Eurydice the floods, Eurydice the rocks, and hollow mountains rung. 7. Music the fiercest grief can charm And make despair and madness please This the divine Cecilia found, And to her Maker's praise confin'd the sound. And Angels lean from heav'n to hear. POPE. CHAP. XXXIII. Alexander's Feast. 1.. 'Twas at the royal feast, for Persia won, By Philip's warlike son: The god-like hero sate On his imperial throne; His valiant peers were plac'd around; Their brows with roses and with myrtle bound: So should desert in arms be crown'd. The lovely Thais by his side Sate, like a blooming eastern bride, None but the brave, None but the brave deserve the fair. 2. Timotheus, plac'd on high Amid the tuneful quire, With flying fingers touch'd the lyre; The song began from Jove; Who left his blissful seats above, When he to fair Olympia press'd; And while he sought her snowy breast, And stamp'd an image of himself, a sov'reign of the world. The list'ning crowd admire the lofty sound; A present deity, the vaulted roofs rebound: The monarch hears, Affects the nod, And seems to shake the spheres. 3. The praise of BACCHUS then, the sweet musician sung: Of Bacchus ever fair and ever young: He shews his honest face. Now give the hautboys breath; he comes, he comes! Bacchus ever fair and young, Drinking joys did first ordain : Sweet the pleasure; Sweet is pleasure after pain. 4. Sooth'd with the sound, the king grew vain: Fought all his battles o'er again; And thrice he routed all his foes; and thrice he slew the slain. The master saw the madness rise; His glowing cheeks, his ardent eyes; And while he heav'n and earth defy'd, Chang'd his hand, and check'd his pride. He chose a mournful muse Soft pity to infuse: He sung DARIUS great and good, Fall'n, fall'n, fall'n, fall'n, With downcast look the joyless victor sate |